The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-08-19

which most events OF the time revolved; /;
now they are little more than tippling-
houses for the lower classes
The various devices used as signs are
Of infinite variety and varying degrees
of interest, from tho heads, or por-
traits of modern political, naval or
military celebrities. TO such signs as the
Rose aud Crown, the Fleur-de-Lys, the
| Spread Eagle, the Cross Keys, our
numerous Arms, Enthusiastically colored
animals OF all kinds. and many other
similar devices. Signs OF the former
kind require little or no explanations
they are usually modern and un-
interesting yulgarisms. and their
meaning are self-apparent. With
signs of the latter class, how.
ever, the case IL generally far diff
! fcrent. and a search for their original
| significance. often much obscurod by
the mists Of antiquity. is usually
an interesting one. As rule,
such signs will be found To
have been derived from the armorial
bearings OF some sovereign. noble or
other historical parsonage.
From the quaint and almost forgot
ten science of heraldry, indeed, has
been derived large majority OF our
oldest and most interesting signs. This
| fact need cause no surprise when IL is
remembered that In former days every
one was familiar with this so-called
science" Tho incomprehensible Jar
gon. spoken of IA 'blazon" by heraldic
/ u-rftars aud fh,, :, a r;,,u do,.fcoa ...,so.,.
/ ing on all-modern coats of arms, though
| little more nowadays than grotesquo
hieroglyphics 10 most were once read
and perfectly understood even by the
common people. A knowledge
If heraldry was once. prob
| ably, as general rs knowledge
Of the :thrce Rs" is now. Ii was
no wonder. therefore. thst tho idea
early suggested itself TO the minds Of
| tradesmen and others 10 use their own
coats of arms-when they had any--or
those of the great trade guild to which
| they belonged. or those of their land
lord. or some patron, as signs. This
/ convenient CUSTOM once established.
would be sure To be largely followed;
| there can. indeed, be no question that
| in this way arose the custom Of naming
houses the ''So-and-so Arms" At the
/ present time, the custom itself remains,
though its origin has been almost en-
tirely lost sight of Many linus have in
/ consequence come 10 be known as the
Arms of persons. trades, places. and
/ things which never did. and never
could. bear a coat Of arms Such
signs. for instance, as the Lii
i liput Arms tho Crieketers' Arms.
and the Libra Arms. are modern
and meaningless absurdities. Clearly
the origin of the Kings Arms had
never occurred to the simple clodhop-
/ per Of whom il is related that no once
walked many miles to see King George
w. on one of his journeys, and who
came home greatly disappointed; for
he found the King had arms like other
men. while he had always understood
that His Majesty's right arm was a
lion. and his left unicorn. Arms of
various kinds form large proportion
Of our modern signs. often as much as
ten per cent. and sometimes double
that in particular districts. As gem
eral rule. where house has displayed
for many years together an armorial
/ sign. the coat will be found TO be
that of the largest landowner or most
prominent parsonage in the district.
When the general knowledge OF
heraldry began to decline, and armorial
bearings fell largely into disuse. m any
houses. formerly known as the Some
body's Arms. probably came gradually
| to be called after, and distinguished by,
the most prominent ''charge" in the
coat, or after the '.crest" of ono of the
supporters. which might have been.
in heraldic blazon. a lion gules (red), a
boar azure (blue). a white hart or q
rose crowned Thus undoubtedly or
iginated many strange signs which ART
still common.
The personal badges" adopted BY
kings and great mobiles in early times.
and worn on the arm by their servants
and retainers. have also given origin to
many similar signs. Thus. the Whit,
Hart-one of our very commonest sign
board devices-represents the favorit'
badge of King Richard IL, although
theNvhite hart has also legendary ex
,istence The Rose and Crown-anoth
er extremely abundant sign-owes it.
existence to the fact that most O
the earlier English sovereigns used ;
rose crowned rs badge. TIL,
Blue Boar, the badge of the once power
ful De Veres, Earls of Oxford, is to thi
day commoner in the county of Essex
where lay the family seat, than any
where else. The Red Lion, another o
our very commonest signs, is probabl,
in the same way derived from the per
-onal badge of John of Gaunt, Duke o
Lancaster. though it doubtless repre-
: SCENTS also the lion in the arms of Scot
land As rule, Enthusiastically colore'
animals will be found to have had al
heraldic origin. Creatures in thei
natural colors either may or may no
have been derived from heraldry; thus
T. : Greyhound, though it has figures
both as the badge, and one or both o
the supporter" of the arms of severa
. English sovereigns, may owe its fire
quent appearance on the sign-board t
its modern use in the coursing-field. II
| the case of the White Horse. too. a yer.
common sign, it is difficult now to de
eide whether it represents the Whit
Horse of the Saxons, or that of tn
? House of Hanover, or one of the man
2 white horses to be seen in our Streets
: Chambers Journal.
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